'The Homesick Texan Cookbook' on Serious Eats

Kolaches, those sweet little stuffed pastries of Czech origin are one of those regionally unique treats that's not too easy to find outside of a certain area of Texas. To satisfy her craving for these little yeasted buns, Lisa Fain, author of The Homesick Texan Cookbook, took it upon herself to recreate them in her tiny New York. She equates the challenge to tackling bagel-baking in Texas—ambitious with a touch of foolhardiness. More

Cheesy enchiladas sauced with a rich, meaty ladle of chili con carne is Texas on a plate, according to Lisa Fain, author of The Homesick Texan Cookbook. It's that combination of bean-less chili gravy and cheese stuffed and covered corn tortillas that is the essence of Tex-Mex and a true taste of Texas. More

According to Lisa Fain, author of The Homesick Texan Cookbook, there's a long and celebrated tradition of cooking with soda in Texas, in sweets like cake and brittles but also in more unexpected places, like these Dr Pepper Ribs. More

Baking just about anything in a cast iron skillet is bound to be pretty great and this Tomato Cobbler from Lisa Fain's The Homesick Texan Cookbook is no exception. Taking inspiration from those great summer fruit cobblers, Fain wondered why she couldn't apply the same technique to a savory side—and so this fantastic summer cobbler was born. More

In Texas, whipping up a bowl of the cheesy dip known as Chili Con Queso can be as simple as melting a block of Velveeta with a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles. This is a upgraded version of it using cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. More

These Chorizo Stuffed Jalapeños are clearly a take on the beloved Texan cheese-stuffed, breaded and fried poppers, but instead of going for cheddar or plain old cream cheese, Fain fills hers with a grown up mix of kicked up goat cheese mixed with spicy crumbles of chorizo. More